The Political Graveyard: Phi Delta Theta Politicians in California

PoliticalGraveyard.com

Phi Delta Theta
Politician members in California

William Oscar Braecklein (1920-2001) — also known as William O. Braecklein; Bill Braecklein — of Dallas, Dallas County, Tex. Born in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif., December 20, 1920. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; lawyer; member of Texas state house of representatives, 1966-72; member of Texas state senate 16th District, 1972-78. Member, Phi Delta Theta; Freemasons; American Bar Association; Phi Alpha Delta. Died, of Alzheimer's disease, at Presbyterian Village North nursing home, Dallas, Dallas County, Tex., November 14, 2001 (age 80 years, 329 days). Entombed in mausoleum at Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park, Dallas, Tex.

Maxwell McGaughey Hamilton (1896-1957) — also known as Maxwell M. Hamilton — of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, Calif. Born in Tahlequah, Cherokee County, Okla., December 20, 1896. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; Foreign Service officer; U.S. Vice Consul in Canton, 1922-24; U.S. Consul in Shanghai, 1925-27; U.S. Minister to Finland, 1945-47. Member, Phi Beta Kappa; Phi Delta Theta. Died November 12, 1957 (age 60 years, 327 days). Interment at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, Calif.

		Relatives: Son of Wallace Maxwell Hamilton and May Calvin (Dobson) Hamilton; married, December 20, 1924, to Julia Fisher.
		See also U.S. State Dept career summary

Donald Read Heath (1894-1981) — also known as Donald R. Heath — of Kansas. Born in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kan., August 12, 1894. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; newspaper correspondent; Foreign Service officer; U.S. Vice Consul in Bucharest, 1921-23; Warsaw, 1923-24; U.S. Consul in Warsaw, 1924-25; Berne, 1925-29; Port-au-Prince, 1929-33; Santiago, 1941-44; U.S. Minister to Bulgaria, 1947-50; Cambodia, 1950-52; Laos, 1950-54; Vietnam, 1950-52; U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, 1952-54; Vietnam, 1952-54; Lebanon, 1955-57; Saudi Arabia, 1958-61. Member, Phi Delta Theta. Died in Orinda, Contra Costa County, Calif., October 15, 1981 (age 87 years, 64 days). Burial location unknown.

		Relatives: Son of Hubert A. Heath and Estelle (Read) Heath; married, October 10, 1920, to Sue Louise Bell.
		See also Wikipedia article — U.S. State Dept career summary — NNDB dossier

Van Heflin (1910-1971) — also known as Emmett Evan Heflin Jr. — of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born in Walters, Cotton County, Okla., December 13, 1910. Democrat. Actor; served in the U.S. Army during World War II; speaker, Democratic National Convention, 1948. Irish and French ancestry. Member, Phi Delta Theta. Suffered a heart attack while swimming, and died six weeks later, in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif., July 23, 1971 (age 60 years, 222 days). Cremated; ashes scattered in North Pacific Ocean.

		Relatives: Son of Emmett Evan Heflin and Fanny Bleecker (Shippey) Heflin; married, May 16, 1942, to Frances E. Neal.
		See also Wikipedia article — Internet Movie Database profile — Find-A-Grave memorial

Jared William Huffman (b. 1964) — also known as Jared Huffman — of San Rafael, Marin County, Calif. Born in Independence, Jackson County, Mo., February 18, 1964. Democrat. Lawyer; member of California state assembly, 2006-12; member, Platform Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008 ; U.S. Representative from California 2nd District, 2013-. Member, Phi Delta Theta. Still living as of 2018.

Ronald R. James (b. 1928) — of San Jose, Santa Clara County, Calif. Born in San Jose, Santa Clara County, Calif., June 11, 1928. Mayor of San Jose, Calif., 1966-70. Member, Phi Delta Theta; Rotary. Still living as of 1970.

Relatives: Son of W. Ray James and Mina (Pelton) James; married, August 3, 1947, to Laurel L. Schnetz.

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